Monday, November 23, 2015

Early copies of the Beatles' "White Album" that were stamped with their own serial numbers on the cover have become highly sought after collectors items, and in 2008 copy with No. 0000005 stamped on it sold at an auction for a little less than $30,000. Now Ringo Starr has announced the first ever copy of the album will be sold in a Julien's auction on Dec. 3-5 that will benefit the Lotus Foundation, which was founded by Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach. The four Beatles were presented with the first four copies, and No. 0000001 was rumoured to have been given to John Lennon who, according to Paul McCartney, "shouted the loudest" for it when the band decided to have the copies numbered. Julien's Auctions, which is based in Beverly Hills, estimates the LP will sell for up to $60,000. - New Musical Express, 11/24/15...... In other Fab Four news, Paul McCartney has written a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron in support of a "Meat-Free Mondays" campaign in the UK, as Cameron prepares to attend the Paris Climate Change Conference which begins on Nov. 30. McCartney, along with his wife and the rest of his family, are encouraging the implementation of Meat Free Mondays at schools, universities and government buildings, as well as involving restaurants and private businesses. The McCartneys contend that developed countries can reduce their carbon footprint by 2% overnight if everyone cuts out meat consumption one day a week, as well as talking about health benefits. "If you heard that meat production was one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, what would you do? Would you just ignore that fact, or would you want to do something and want to find a solution?," Sir Paul asks in a video he released that accompanies his letter. Meanwhile, artists including David Bowie, Björk, Robert Plant, David Gilmour, Radiohead, Iggy Pop and Coldplay have written an open letter to negotiators attending the Paris climate summit to secure a "ambitious" deal to "come together and intensify our efforts" against climate change. In a petition which accompanies the letter, the musicians call the summit an "historic opportunity... to give us confidence in a sustainable future, to share our ambition, and recognize our capacity to strengthen your leadership." - NME, 11/27/15...... As Bruce Springsteen prepares for a deluxe reissue of his 1980 double LP The River on Dec. 4, cable TV's HBO channel premiered a documentary included in the set, The Ties That Bind about The River, on Nov. 27. Directed by Thom Zimny, the 60-minute film features interviews with the Boss and acoustic versions of tracks like "The River" and "Two Hearts." The lavish The Ties That Bind: The River Collection boxset also includes the original album and features outtakes and demos from The River sessions recorded between 1979 and 1980. Dubbed The River: Single Album, it includes 10 previously unreleased tracks he recorded in 1979 as a follow up to 1978's Darkness On The Edge Of Town.The Ties That Bind follows a similar box-set treatment for Darkness in 2010. - New Musical Express, 11/24/15................................ Seventies artists James Taylor and Barbra Streisand were among 17 Americans honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the USA's highest civilian award, at The White House on Nov. 24. "Off the stage, [Streisand has] been a passionate advocate for issues like heart disease and women's equality," Pres. Barack Obama said in his opening statement. "I'm getting all verklempt just thinking about it," the president joked in Yiddish, referencing the SNL skit "Coffee Talk." "You always feel like he's singing only to you," Pres. Obama said about Taylor. "That's why he's become one of the driving forces of the singer-songwriter movement." The president also recognized director Steven Spielberg, composer Stephen Sondheim, violinist Itzhak Perlman and baseball legends Willie Mays and Yogi Berra, among others. "Today we celebrate some extraordinary people: innovators, artists and leaders who contribute to America's strength as a nation," he told reporters before handing out the medals. - WENN.com, 11/24/15...... Speaking of James Taylor, the "Fire and Rain" singer performed "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Nov. 23. Taylor sang as the French flag appeared in the background. - Billboard, 11/24/15...... Carly Simon appeared on CBS's The Late Show on Nov. 24 for a duet with host Stephen Colbert of what she admitted was her favorite song, Inez and Charlie Foxx's hit "Mockingbird," which she and former husband James Taylor famously covered in 1973. The pair deliverd a surprisingly good off-the-cuff rendition as Simon sang lead and Colbert harmonized on the Taylor parts. Later in the show, Simon performed "I Can't Thank You Enough" with her son Ben Taylor, a track from her new album Songs From The Trees (A Musical Memoir), which has just been released along with her accompanying memoir, Boys in the Trees. - Billboard, 11/25/15...... Former Commodores singer/songwriter Lionel Richie has announced details of a UK arena tour that will take place in 2016. Richie will play three dates in total beginning at the Manchester Arena on June 28, then follow with two nights at London's O2 Arena on July 2 and 3. This summer, the "Dancing on the Ceiling" singer boosted his popularity in England by performing before over 100,000 people at the Glastonbury music festival." I can't wait to return to the UK to see my fans," said Richie. "It's always been a really special place for me and this year in particular the UK has been incredible to me." - NME, 11/26/15...... In a new interview on Nov. 24, Jimmy Page reaffirmed that he will be starting work on his first solo album in nearly 30 years in 2016. "Next year I'm just going to working on the guitar. It's time for me to go out there and do a solo album. My last solo album was 1988. I haven't really milked the situation. It's time to do another one. I'm known for playing many styles of guitar, and I need to revisit all the different styles I can play," he said. Page added that he's "not thinking about singers, I'm thinking of an instrumental thing." "I want to work with my strengths rather than my weaknesses. I want to work with myself, I want to get myself up and running and once I'm ready, I'll think about whether I need someone to sing on the music," he explained. His last proper solo effort, 1988's Outrider, featured several guest singers performing over his songs, including his former bandmate, Robert Plant. He has also released collaborative albums with Whitesnake singer David Coverdale and Plant. - Billboard, 11/24/15...... The Fox TV network has released the first promo for its upcoming live televised musical based on the hit 1978 movie Grease. Set for Jan. 31 from 7:00-10:00 p.m., Grease: Live will star Aaron Tveit as Danny Zuko and Julianne Hough as Sandy, and features a new version of the Barry Gibb's "Grease (Is the Word)" that was featured in the opening title sequence of the 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/24/15...... In related news, a musical inspired by the legendary Motown studio in Detroit will be returning to Broadway next summer. "Motown the Musical" will return to New York starting July 2016 for an 18-week stand, before touring earlier in the year in several southern states, as well as Ohio and Wisconsin. It also plays the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End in February. In a press conference on Nov. 23, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy said that the musical that tells the story of how the record label rose and fell and then rose again has been "tweaked" on the road and "gotten tighter and tighter." The show first began performances in March 2013 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre and closed this January after over 700 performances, routinely breaking $1 million a week at the box office. - AP, 11/24/15...... Trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, who helped Sly and the Family Stone craft its own unique sound of funk and soul in the late '60s and early '70s, passed away on Nov. 23 after a battle with cancer. She was 69. Robinson, who was also a co-founder of Sly Stone's band, was one of the first female black trumpeters to gain notoriety in a major recording act, and was the first female trumpet player and the first African-American trumpet player inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with Stone and the other bandmembers, in 1993. Robinson first hooked up with Sly in 1966 in an early incarnation of the band, Sly and the Stoners, and stayed on board as Stone crafted the pop/rock/R&B synthesis that became the Family Stone. After the Family Stone disbanded in 1975, Robinson went on to lend her talents and perform with other great stage acts such as George Clinton and Prince until cancer diagnosis was announced in October on her Facebook page. Robinson also announced that she was establishing the Cynthia Robinson Cancer Care Fund, which is remaining active "in her memory," according to her Facebook page. The Sacramento-born musician is survived by her two daughters, Laura Marie and Sylvyette Phunne. - Billboard, 11/24/15.

The Recording Academy announced on Nov. 19 that it will be inducting 26 recordings into its Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016, including Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album, Bob Dylan and The Band's The Basement Tapes, the Grateful Dead's 1970 classic American Beauty, and Roberta Flack's First Take. Singles making the cut include Blondie's "Heart of Glass," Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock N' Roll," The Zombies' "She's Not There," Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," and Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville." "These works have influenced and inspired music fans for generations and we are proud to induct them into our catalogue of distinguished recordings," said NARAS president Neil Portnow in a statement. In order to be eligible for induction, recordings must be at least 25 years old and are chosen for their "historical and cultural significance." - New Musical Express, 11/19/15...... A glowing review by entertainer James Wright about Patti LaBelle's signature brand of sweet potato pies has racked up about 10 million YouTube views since it was posted on Nov. 11, causing retail giant Walmart to announced they were selling LaBelle's pies at the "rate of one per second during the 72 hour period from Thursday through Saturday." Demand is such it also appears many are buying the pies from Walmart and reselling them on eBay and Craigslist for much more than the $3.50 price tag. But the "Lady Marmalade" singer isn't too quick to give credit directly to Wright for helping her pies reach a wide new audience. "I was selling out before the guy did his wonderful video," LaBelle told TMZ.com when approached about Wright's video. The video testimonial has also reportedly inspired at least one online amateur guitarist to write a musical accompianiment. - Billboard, 11/20/15...... In other viral net news, a tweet from Aaron Carter went viral on Nov. 22 after the rising young pop star claimed that Michael Jackson "passed down the torch" to him before the King of Pop passed away in 2009. In his series of seemingly unprompted tweets, Carter also said that he and Jackson were "connected" because they were "the only ones of [their] kind." Carter has since deleted his original tweet, which read "Remember one very important thing...Michael passed down the torch to me...I never had to ask for him to do that," but continues to defend his point vehemently in a series of tweets that are still live. In a longer statement, Carter spoke directly to the people making off-color jokes in response, saying, "Passing down the torch was exactly what he did, and being there for people and loving one another." - Billboard, 11/23/15...... Veteran heavy metal frontman Lemmy Kilmister of the band Motörhead has spoken out about the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, and said he and his band would have played the same Bataclan venue where dozens of innocent music fans were slaughtered "the next day" after the attack as an act of defiance. "Those people are so dumb. What for? Do you think it's gonna be a heroic thing to kill innocent people? Assholes. Cowards," Kilmister told a German rock outlet. "I would have gone on the day after," he continued. "If they [the terrorists] stop you, then they win. And they're not going to beat me. I mean, I do what I'm supposed to do. If the police cancel [the show for us], I can't do [anything] about that. But we didn't cancel it." - NME, 11/23/15...... Jimmy Page joined such musicians as his pal Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, Duff McKagan formerly of Guns N' Roses, and Alice In Chains singer William Duvell for a rendition of the classic Led Zeppelin track "Rock and Roll" during a Led Zepp tribute concert at Seattle's Experience Music Project Museum on Nov. 19. It was part of a benefit show of Zeppelin covers performed by a host of musicians that also included Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and ex-Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. Page also picked up the Experience Music Project Founders Award at the ceremony which also saw the likes of "Immigrant Song," "Communication Breakdown" and "Dazed And Confused" performed. Earlier in 2015, Page said he planned on pursuing a "new project" outside his classic former band after completing the reissues of Led Zeppelin's final three albums, which he accomplished this year. - NME, 11/20/15...... Frank Zappa's son Dweezil Zappa is set to release Via Zammata, his first new solo album in nearly a decade, on Nov. 27. "This record is a chance to take what I've learned over the past decade of learning my dad's music and playing it live and applying some of those elements to my own music -- but I didn't want to do it in a way that made the music seem like just a derivative of my dad's music," Zappa says. "I wanted to simplify a lot of the music and just make a collection of songs that seemed like they would be fun to listen to. I wanted to make each song have its own sonic fingerprint, a different production or sonic landscape for each song, so it kind of goes into different musical genres -- sometimes all together," he adds. The LP also features a track called "Dragon Master," which Zappa wrote from a set of fantastical lyrics his late dad gave to him. Zappa is planning a short solo tour early in 2016 behind the new set, and he'll also be part of the Experience Hendrix Tour kicking off in late Feb. 2016. "It's going to be a '50 Years of Frank' kind of thing... It's really insane to think about his first record coming out 50 years ago, so I want it to be something special," Dweezil says. - Billboard, 11/20/15...... '70s artists the Grateful Dead and Bob Seger were among the honorees at the 12th Annual Billboard Touring Awards on Nov. 19 at NYC's Roosevelt Hotel. The GD took the Top Boxscore Award for their "Fare Thee Well" shows at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 3-5, while Seger was named the 2015 Legend of Live recipient for his significant impact on the touring industry. The Detroit rocker was clearly touched when he received the award, and used it as an opportunity to thank promoters and others that he said he otherwise never gets the chance to acknowledge. "This is a wonderful chance to say thank you to people," he said. - Billboard, 11/20/15...... As Fleetwood Mac prepares to release a deluxe reissue of its risk-taking 1979 classic double-LP Tusk on Dec. 4, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham says "the conventional wisdom was, 'You blew it'" when its sales fell far short of its predecessor, 1977's Rumours. "A lot of people were pissed off at me for that," he recalled with a laugh. But Buckingham said he had a good reason for not doing a "Rumours 2." "We really were poised to make Rumours 2, and that could've been the beginning of kind of painting yourself into a corner in terms of living up to the labels that were being placed on you as a band," he said. "You know, there have been several occasions during the course of Fleetwood Mac over the years where we've had to undermine whatever the business axioms might be to sort of keep aspiring as an artist in the long term, and the Tusk album was one of those times," he added. - Billboard, 11/19/15...... James Taylor appeared on Stephen Colbert late night CBS talk show on Nov. 18, and Colbert joined in with Taylor for a completely serious duet with Taylor's classic "You Can Close Your Eyes." "Something that I never anticipated when I started doing this kind of thing, is that I might be able to do the thing I'm about to do -- sing a song with James Taylor," Colbert said before singing. Clearly thrilled, he took the lead on the song (an audience request) as Taylor added harmonies and accompanied on guitar. - Billboard, 11/19/15...... In related news, Jeff Lynne's ELO performed on Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show the same evening, with Lynne performing his new track "When I Was a Boy" as well as the ELO classic "Mr. Blue Sky." "When I Was a Boy" is included on Jeff Lynne's ELO's just released album, Alone in the Universe. - New Musical Express, 11/19/15...... Veteran acting couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are planning on finally getting married after being a couple for 30 years, according to the U.K. tabloid The Daily Express. The Hollywood stars, who met in 1983, will reportedly exchange vows in a ceremony at their ranch near Aspen, Col. in the New Year. "It's going to be cowboy hats, horses and rock 'n' roll," a friend of the couple said. "All their relatives are thrilled that they have at last decided to tie the knot." Hawn, who recently celebrated her 70th birthday, has previously said, "Kurt and I are deeply in love, so why risk ruining something wonderful by getting hitched?" A representative for the couple has yet to comment on the wedding report. - WENN.com, 11/23/15...... The movie industry website TheTrackingBoard is reporting that the long-delayed biopic about legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury will start shooting in the summer of 2016, pending a full rewrite from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten (Theory of Everything). The project had been thought to have been shelved after Sacha Baron-Cohen left the project in 2013, citing "creative differences." The rumored successor to play Mercury is Ben Whishaw, who also appears in the new James Bond flick, Spectre. The roles of Roger Taylor and Mary Austin have also reportedly been filled with Johnny Flynn and Gemma Arterton, respectively. - Billboard, 11/19/15...... More juicy tidbits from Carly Simon's promotional tour for her new top-selling book Boys in the Trees are leaking out, including a new People interview in which Carly revealed she had sexual encounters at the age of 7. The singer said she got involved with a family friend when she was just a 7-year-old kid. At the time, the boy was a teenager, and she believes her mother found out about the secret because the boy was banned from the house for one summer. "It was heinous," she said. "It changed my view about sex for a long time." Simon also revealed recently that one of the verses in her classic hit "You're So Vain" was about one of her former boyfriends, Warren Beatty. - HuffingtonPost.com, 11/19/15...... Jim Perry, a top TV game-show host in the 1970s and '80s who moderated such programs as Card Sharks and Sale of the Century, died in Oregon on Nov. 20 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 82. In 1978, the dapper Mr. Perry started as host of Card Sharks, beginning his long-standing relationship with NBC. He hosted a version of the game show and the two pilots that preceded it from April 24, 1978, until Oct. 23, 1981. NBC then named Perry as the host of a revamped edition of Sale of the Century in 1982. That show aired for six years and spun off into a nightly syndicated version, which saw Perry doing double-duty as the host of both shows. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, June, a former model; their children Sean and Erin; and three grandchildren. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/20/15.

Friday, November 13, 2015

In an interview with DigitalSpy.com, former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters revealed he plans to release his fourth solo album sometime in 2016, his first new studio effort in 24 years. "I'm in the middle of making it now," said Waters, who added that the LP is a concept album involving a granddad and his grandchild searching for certain answers. "Why are we killing the children? That's what it's about," he said. Waters said some of the songs are brand new, while others are from as far back as 15 years ago, and that he will likely tour behind the album. "I'm toying with the idea of trying to make this thing into an arena show," he said. Meanwhile, on Nov. 20 Waters will release Roger Waters: The Wall, a live album from his time spent touring Pink Floyd's The Wall as a solo artist. Waters says a stage version of The Wall is also in the works. And he continues his charity work on behalf of U.S. military veterans who have been wounded in battle, recently co-headlining the Music Heals concert in Washington, D.C., with acts including Billy Corgan, Tom Morello and Sheryl Crow. - New Musical Express, 11/14/15...... '70s artists Barbra Streisand and James Taylor will be among the honorees of the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 24, the administration of Pres. Barack Obama announced on Nov. 16. Other notables to be honored with the medal that evening, among a group of 17, include Gloria Estefan, composer Stephen Sondheim, and conductor Itzhak Perlman. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/16/15...... After many years of speculation about who is the self-involved paramour sung about by Carly Simon in her No. 1 1972 hit single "You're So Vain," Simon has revealed in a new interview with People magazine that the subject of at least one of the verses is actor Warren Beatty, whom she dated in the early 1970s. "I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren," adding, "Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!" The verse, which begins "You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive," and ends with "I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee, Clouds in my coffee," is the second verse of the classic getting-even song, about which Simon has teased the public with clues of its subject over the years. In 2004, she told talk show host Regis Philbin that the man's name contained the letters "A," "E" and "R." That includes Beatty, but also some of Simon's other exes like James Taylor, to whom she was married for 11 years, and "You're So Vain" background vocalist Mick Jagger. Warren Beatty has long maintained that the song is definitely about him. Simon spoke to People ahead of her forthcoming memoir, Boys in the Trees, which is due on Nov 24. When People asked the singer if she will ever divulge who the other verses are about, she said, "I don't think so, at least until they know it's about them." But, as the song goes, they probably already think it's about them. - Billboard, 11/18/15...... Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has joined such music stars as Justin Beiber in posting a moving tribute to niversal's international project manager for Mercury Records Thomas Ayad, who was among the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks on Nov. 13. "My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Thomas Ayad. Words cannot express the horror of what happened in Paris. I am horrified by the tragic events that took place in Paris last Friday night," Richards tweeted on Nov. 16. Thomas Ayad was at the Bataclan theater during the Eagles of Death Metal concert, where gunmen took hostages and killed 89 people inside the venue as part of a coordinated attack across the city. Meanwhile, Richards has just revealed the video for the latest single from his new solo LP, Crosseyed Heart. Titled "Long Overdue," the single is from the guitarist's first solo effort in over 20 years. - Billboard/NME, 11/18/15...... In other Paris attack news, Cher has weighed in on the tragic events of Nov. 13, expressing her anger that ISIS murdered innocents who were "free" and "loving life" while enjoying life's pleasures. "Ppl Say Isis Attack Was SO WELL PLANNED,But They Had AK47's &Attacked Innocent ppl Who Were FREE,--ING LIFE-- A--Party,Dinner--Music-- Sports--," the she posted on Nov. 17. The diva also called out Pres. Barack Obama, the U.S. congress, and several GOP 2016 presidential candidates. "If we r forced 2fight Isis,I -- NO gop Candidate is POTUS.It Would b like the Dumb leading the Arrogant,leading the Insane Neocons? Deya Vu," she tweeted a day earlier. Cher, 69, also shared her love for Paris, writing that the City of Light is a "Rare Gem" where she spent many of her happiest moments, and offered a message of hope: "EVIL IS NOT SUPREME AND GOOD IS NOT HELPLESS... Good nite Beloved Paris---- You are Strong & You will Survive--you r the city of Light," she wrote. - Billboard, 11/17/15...... In related news, a 34-year-old amateur pianist named David Martello made several TV news reports about the attack after he embarked on a 400-mile trip to perform the iconic John Lennon song about peace and unity, "Imagine," in front of the Le Bataclan theater on a portable piano attached to a bicycle. Martello, who performs under the name Klavierkunst, made the trip after hearing the news on TV in a pub in Germany. Martello also performed at the site of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Jan. 2015, and his website says he plans on "playing in every capital of the world" with his portable grand piano. Also, the popular rock band Coldplay opened their concert in Los Angeles on Nov. 13 with a cover of Lennon's "Imagine" in tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack. - NME, 11/15/15...... In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr is planning an auction of over 1,200 personal items from his and wife Barbara Bach's residences in London, Beverly Hills and Monaco on Dec. 4 and 5. The Julien's Live online auction will feature drums and guitars from throughout the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's career, from the Beatles to the All-Starr Band as well as memorabilia from the Fab Four era and "custom-made eclectic furnishings, fine art and personal items." One of the most interesting items is Ringo's 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl three-piece drum kit, which was used for the Beatles' live performances from May 1963 to February 1964, as well as on the recordings of such hits as "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and "Can't Buy Me Love." The kit is expected to fetch anywhere between $300K-$500K. - Rolling Stone, 11/13/15...... On Perfectamundo, his first-ever solo outing, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons marries his BFG band's bedrock Texas blues boogie with more recent obsessions, most prominently Afro-Cuban rhythms. It's the sound of a Havana moon shining down on Rio Grande mud. Gibbons' musical anthropology is loving and loose, with nods to hip-hop and funk (the "Legs" callback "You're What's Happenin' Baby"), Stones-y rock & roll (on Piedras Negras") and Sixties soul (a tight slide through Roy Head's 1965 hit "Treat Her Right"). It doesn't all come together seamlessly. But the same rumbling gravitas that fired Eliminator keeps things flowing. - Rolling Stone, 11/19/15...... The pre-history of Van Halen, which began in 1973 in Pasadena, Calif., when a cover band called Mammoth started by two Dutch immigrant brothers hired a wealthy doctor's son to be their singer after they became tired of paying him $35 a show to use his PA system, is usually glossed over in accounts of the band. But in Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal, author Greg Renoff devotes an entire book to it. It's the tale of hardworking kids with nothing in common learning to fuse pop and heavy metal into a new sound that completely changed the music world. It also vividly shows that the personality clashes that would later destroy the band were there from Day One. - Rolling Stone, 11/19/15...... No single person "invented" rock & roll. But it's hard to imagine how it could've happened without Sun Records visionary Sam Phillips. Elvis Presley biographer Peter Guralnick's rigorously researched new book Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll tells the story of a Southern white businessman who enabled the careers of epochal artists, black and white -- including Elvis, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf, Ike Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. This definitive work maintains the high standard of Guralnick's other books, and as his lifelong devotion has shown, he's a true believer in rock & roll. You may come away born again too. - Rolling Stone, 11/19/15...... The SiriusXM satellite radio network announced on Nov. 17 that Tom Petty will be getting his how Sirius station beginning on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. EST. Petty will curating choice cuts of rock, rhythm and blues, as well as play unreleased studio and live recordings and unique cover cuts by his bands the Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch and the Traveling Wilburys. Petty has already been hosting a weekly show with Sirius called Tom Petty's Buried Treasure for nine seasons, which will continue on with new and archival episodes on his new station, dubbed Tom Petty Radio. - Billboard, 11/17/15...... Songwriter Roger Nichols, who penned the sentimental 1975 Paul Anka hit "Times of Your Life," filed a complaint in a California federal court on Nov. 17 alleging that the conservative Super PAC Club for Growth misappropriated his song in a commercial targeting Democratic Wisconsin senatorial candidate Russ Feingold. "The use was particularly egregious because the Club, acting out of its desire to draw attention to its political agenda, utilized the Composition -- a sweet and melancholy song about cherishing the moments of one's life -- to make a derivative work that was a bitter attack advertisement," the complaint reads, adding that Club for Growth "made a distinctive effort to draw an association... by using a singer that was clearly impersonating the style of Paul Anka... to mimic the original recording." The complaint adds: "Nichols does not want his work or reputation to be associated with the Club for Growth, Donald Trump, or any controversial political or social views associated with them or their supporters." In relevant legal precedent, a judge previously ruled that satirical lyrics on top of familiar music for a campaign ad was not covered by fair use in Don Henley's lawsuit against California senatorial candidate Chuck DeVore. Given that Nichols' lawsuit a complaint over an audiovisual commercial rather than a campaign rally (like what Trump recently faced), legal experts say Nichols potentially has an easier road ahead. The commercial was posted on YouTube, aired on broadcast and cable, and was published on Politico.com and other media outlets, according to the complaint. As for the nostalgic song, "Times of Your Life" was originally commissioned by Kodak for use in their Paul Anka-sung commercial, and was most recently used by AMC for the series finale trailer of Mad Men. The song became a No. 30 hit for Anka on the pop hit parade in November 1975. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/17/15...... Although Rush may have performed their final major tour when their R40 tour wrapped earlier in 2015 due to ailments suffered by guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Pert, Lifeson says that speculation about the band's demise have been greatly exaggerated. "I don't think it is the end, and we never really said this is definitively our last tour. I think it's likely to be our last major tour, but we're still in contact, very close contact with each other, all three of us, and I don't think it's certainly the end of the band," he told Billboard on Nov. 16. "There are still lots of things we want to do. It's not to say that we wouldn't do something in the future on a smaller scale, and there's always the fun project of making a record, which we've all loved forever. Right now I think we're just kind of relaxing and taking it in and getting reconnected with our families and friends and more of a domestic life, and then we'll kinda sort of review it, I think, in the new year and see what we want to do," Lifeson added. As Rush is in hiatus, Peart is preparing for the Nov. 20 publication of Clockwork Lives, his second science-fiction novel co-written with Kevin Anderson, while Lifeson has been working on electronic music projects with his son and singer Tyler. - Billboard, 11/16/15...... Bruce Springsteen confirmed on Nov. 17 via Twitter that he and his E Street Band will take the Saturday Night Live stage for its Christmas episode, which will be broadcast on Dec. 19. "Mark your calendar... Bruce hits the @nbcsnl stage on December 19, hosted Tina Fey & Amy Poehler!," reads the post tweeted from his Twitter account. Also appearing on the Dec. 19 episode will be Chance the Rapper and Leon Bridges.- Billboard, 11/17/15...... Jimmy Buffett officially opened his new Margaritaville Beach Resort in Miami, Fla., on Nov. 14, a $150 million attraction that features nearly 350 rooms, eight bars and a spa. Buffett also treated his Parrotheads to a free concert at the city's iconic Bandshell later in the evening. The Bandshell, built in the 1970s, will feature local music several nights a week, but is now run by Margaritaville. The city of Miami contributed more than $20 million to the project and is hoping it will transform the area into a more sophisticated vacation escape with a Caribbean-themed vibe. - AP, 11/16/15...... David Bowie will premiere a 10-minute long single titled "?" (pronounced Blackstar) from his forthcoming album of the same name on the UK's Sky Atlantic network on Nov. 19 at 8.45 p.m. The single will be presented alongside a short video of the single, which is featured in the opening credits of the new Sky Atlantic drama The Last Panthers. "?" is the title track of Bowie's upcoming 25th studio album, which will be released on his 69th birthday (Jan. 8, 2016). - New Musical Express, 11/13/15...... Foreigner announced on Nov. 16 they will commence a 2016 summer tour of Europe and Israel at The Paladium in London on June 7. The show will be followed by dates at Tel Aviv’s Caesarea Amphitheatre (6/14 and 15) Belgium’s Graspop (6/17), Cologne’s Tanzbrunnen (8/8), and many more during their 12-city trek. Tickets for the band's London concert go on sale Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. GMT on the LiveNation website. - Noble PR, 11/16/15...... Cable TV's CMT channel will honor country music veteran Kenny Rogers as Artist of a Lifetime during the CMT Artists of the Year awards show in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 2. Rogers, 77, recently announced his retirement from touring, saying he will do a final world tour in 2016 before retiring from the road so he can spend more time with his family. "When you start out in the business you don't think about awards, you think about survival," Rogers said. "And the longer you survive, you get an award for survival." The CMT awards show will air on CMT on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. EST. - AP, 11/17/15...... Gary Glitter has lost his appeal against his child sex conviction in the U.K. In February, the "Rock and Roll Part 2" singer was jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of abuse offenses dating back to the '70s and '80s. According to the BBC, Glitter's legal team argued that the media's coverage made a fair trial impossible. However, judges said that there was nothing "unsafe" about the conviction. Glitter was sentenced for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under 13. Sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said that there was "no real evidence" that Glitter -- real name Paul Gadd -- had atoned for his crimes. Glitter, who denied all charges, was acquitted of three other counts in February. - NME, 11/17/15...... P.F. Sloan, an esteemed singer/songwriter who penned several hits in the '60s for such artists as The Turtles and Barry McGuire ("Eve of Destruction"), The Grass Roots ("Where Were You When I Needed You"), and Johnny Rivers ("Secret Agent Man"), succumbed to a battle with pancreatic cancer at his Los Angeles home on Nov. 15. He was 70. Sloan honed his talents during L.A.'s pop and rock explosion during the 1960s, and as a 12-year-old once asked Elvis Presley for a guitar lesson. Born Philip Gary Schlein, Sloan landed a deal at the tender age of 13 with Aladdin Records, and a year later released his debut single, "All I Want Is Loving." In 1965, his single "Sins of a Family" peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Sloan had recently published his memoir, What's Exactly The Matter With Me?, and his latest album was 2014's My Beethoven. - Billboard, 11/16/15...... Music promoter/producer/nightclub owner Gene Norman, best known for founding the record label GNP Crescendo and helping to bring some of the most renowned jazz artists of the 20th century to the West Coast, died on Nov. 2 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 93. Mr. Norman founded GNP Crescendo (its initials stand for "Gene Norman Presents"; Crescendo was the name of the nightclub Mr. Norman opened in Los Angeles) in 1954, and artists recorded by the label over the years include Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Max Roach, George Shearing and Art Tatum....... Carol Doda, a legendary stripper who helped introduce topless entertainment in the U.S. more than 50 years ago, died on Nov. 9 in San Francisco of complications related to kidney failure. She was 78. Doda went topless in 1964 at Frisco's Condor Club and soon changed every nightspot on busy Broadway. She left the club in 1985 and later owned a lingerie store. Doda, known for her augmented bust, rode onto stage atop a piano on an elevator platform, debuting the same day Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson drew half a million people in a visit to San Francisco. It wasn't long before the big news in town was "The Girl on the Piano." An illuminated sign on the club in Doda's likeness later became a landmark. - AP, 11/12/15.

A live stream concert from Paris that was to feature such artists as Elton John, Duran Duran and others was suspended on the evening of Nov. 13 after Paris was rocked by several deadly terrorist attacks. To be hosted by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, the broadcast was to feature musical performances from locations around the globe, from Rio de Janeiro to Miami, Sydney and Cape Town, with the aim of raising awareness about global warming a few weeks before world leaders gather for the COP 21 Paris climate summit opening Nov. 30. The three Paris attacks, which included a shooting at the Le Bataclan concert hall where the Eagles of Death Metal were performing, is officially the deadliest concert shooting of all time, with gunmen killing at least 118. Also, the band U2 canceled a planned concert in the Paris area on Nov. 14 in light of the attacks. "We are devastated at the loss of life at the Eagles of Death Metal concert and our thoughts and prayers are with the band and their fans," U2 posted on its official website. - AP, 11/13/15...... Olivia Newton-John has earned her first No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart for the week ending Nov. 21 with her new single "You Have to Believe." The track, which features contributions from Dave Aude and Newton-John's daughter Chloe, is a reinterpretation of Olivia's 1980 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "Magic," from the film Xanadu, in which she starred. Newton-John's last hit came in 1992 with "I Need Love," which peaked at No. 44. - Billboard, 11/12/15...... The cable channel AMC has announced it will sponsor all-star concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of the birth of John Lennon on Dec. 5 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With performances by such artists as Peter Frampton, Steven Tyler, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Tom Morello and Eric Church, Imagine: The John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert will be taped and air exclusively on AMC on Dec. 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. More artists are expected to be announced later. Meanwhile, a 1962 J-160E Gibson acoustic guitar that Lennon played on such early Beatles songs as "P.S. I Love You" and "Love Me Do" sold for $2.41 million on Nov. 8 at a Julien's auction in California. The guitar had for decades been in the possession of John McCaw, a novice musician who bought it in the late 1960s without knowing it had been stolen from the legendary Beatle several years before. Half of the proceeds from the sale of the guitar, which was stolen from Lennon at a December 1963 Christmas concert, will go toward the Spirit Foundation, a charitable organization that he and his widow, Yoko Ono, created, auctioneer Darren Julien said. Also selling at the same auction was the Beatles drum head that Ringo Starr played when the band made their historic appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. It sold for $2.1 million, Julien said. - NBC News, 11/8/15...... In more Beatles-related news, viewers of the U.K.'s ITV channel have voted "Hey Jude" as the U.K.'s favorite number one record by the Fab Four. On Nov. 11, the station broadcast The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One, a rundown of results from a poll to determine which of the band's 17 Number One singles is the most loved. The top five songs on the list were "Hey Jude," "Yesterday," "Let It Be," "Eleanor Rigby," and "All You Need Is Love." - New Musical Express, 11/12/15...... Elvis Presley has topped the U.K. album chart for the second week in a row with his latest posthumous LP If I Can Dream, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The album sold more in its second week than its first, a rare feat in modern chart history, with a combined sales and streaming tally of 88,600, compared with 79,000 in its first week. In more chart action, Rod Stewart's new album Another Country fell from No. 2 to No. 4, while the new incarnation of the Beatles' 1 compilation, 1+, debuted at No. 5. On the singles chart, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" re-entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 tally at No. 45, with a Halloween bump. Jackson's 1984 creepy classic also returned to the Hot 100 the previous two years for a week each after Halloween (No. 32 in 2014; No. 42 in 2013). - Billboard, 11/13/15...... Meanwhile, David Bowie has released a creepy clip from his forthcoming album Blackstar, which is due in 2016 on Bowie's birthday, Jan. 8. The title track will be released on Nov. 20, and both the single and the short film, which features a bejeweled skull in an astronaut's helmet and Bowie himself clutching some kind of bible, will premiere at Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema before that date. - Billboard, 11/13/15...... In an interview with ABC Radio on Nov. 12, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood said the Stones could return to the studio as early as this December. "We'll maybe go in the studio in December and cut a few tracks and see what happens," Wood said. He also noted that the band would be laying "some groundwork" for a possible new album project in the coming weeks. "We'll take it from there, see how it all goes," he added. "One thing at a time." - Billboard, 11/13/15...... Former Mountain and West, Bruce and Laing frontman Leslie West has paid tribute to his late WBL bandmate, Jack Bruce, with a cover of the Willie Dixon classic "Spoonful," which will be included in his forthcoming new studio LP, Soundcheck. "When I found out Jack died I was very sad, so I put that on there as a tribute to him because there'll never be another Jack Bruce," West said. Soundcheck is due out Nov. 20 and also features collaborations with Queen's Brian May, Peter Frampton, Bonnie Bramlett and others. - Billboard, 11/12/15...... A federal court judge has ordered that Journey guitarist Neal Schon be paid $290K by officials in San Francisco to settle a lawsuit brought by him over his lavish 2013 wedding to a former reality television star. Schon married Real Housewives of D.C. star Michaele Salahi in December 2013 at the Palace of Fine Arts with a reception at an adjacent building that once housed the Exploratorium science museum. Schon said he agreed to pay the city $58,000 for the use, but was surprised to learn days before the wedding that he would have to pay $240,000 for the opulent event to go on. He reluctantly paid, likening the price hike to "extortion." The couple sued in federal court in February, claiming that the city unfairly jacked up the fee after learning the couple planned to broadcast the event on pay-per-view. - AP, 11/11/15...... Bruce Springsteen was among the headliners of the ninth annual Stand Up For Heroes fundraiser at The Theater of Madison Square Garden In New York City on Nov. 10. The event was emceed by comedian Jon Stewart, who introduced the Boss saying he always admired the man because "he got out of New Jersey, a place where I also grew up and wanted to desperately leave." "And where do I live now?" he quipped. "New Jersey." Springsteen played a taut, four-song set that included "For You," "Darlington County," and "Dancing in the Dark." Presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival, the event has raised $30 million in 275 programs nationwide since it was founded in 2006. - Billboard, 11/11/15...... Jeff Lynne's ELO have announced a series of dates in the U.K. in spring 2016, beginning in Liverpool on April 5. The band will then play Nottingham, (4/7), Leeds (4/9), Manchester (4/10), Glasgow (4/12), Newcastle (4/14) and Birmingham (4/16/17), before wrapping at London's O2 on April 20 and 22. Jeff Lynne's ELO released its first album under the ELO name in 14 years, Alone in the Universe, on Nov. 13. - New Musical Express, 11/11/15...... Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford has told Billboard magazine that he feels "a little bit abandoned" by Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, who is currently concentrating on a new country-influenced solo album. Whitford said that Aerosmith had plans to tour in early 2016, but they were put on hold by Tyler who he said "doesn't want to do it." "It's unfortunate. We kind of feel a little bit abandoned by him. I guess he seems to think his solo career is going to go great guns, and he doesn't seem to realise that -- in my opinion -- his fans around the globe want to see him in the context of Aerosmith and don't really care for whatever he thinks he's gonna do," Whitford said. "I don't know if he gets that but, hey, that's what he wants to do. I can't put a gun to his head. It's just pretty disappointing," he added. Tyler's solo LP, which is being recorded in Nashville, is expected to be released in 2016. - New Musical Express, 11/10/15...... Alice Cooper has released a "souped-up version" of the children's symphony classic "Peter and the Wolf." Cooper narrates the newfangled tale of the famed story by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and gives voice to all of the characters, including Peter, now cast as a lonely Russian boy in Los Angeles who becomes a media celebrity after capturing a wolf that escapes from the zoo. He also plays Peter's grizzled grandfather, a laid back SoCal gardener who takes Peter in after he is orphaned in Russia. "I kept picturing Cheech and Chong," Cooper says of the grandfather character, which was his favorite to portray in the story. "You know, an old hippie. I kind of channeled Tommy Chong and gave him that voice: 'Hey man, cool.'" Cooper's Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood album arrives on the Universal Music label Deutsche Grammophon, with music performed by The National Youth Orchestra of Germany, and includes all of the familiar music from the original "Peter and the Wolf." - Billboard, 11/10/15...... Veteran Eagles manager Irving Azoff will be honored at the 2016 Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton, organizers announced on Nov. 9. Azoff, chairman and CEO Azoff MSG Entertainment, will be presented with the President's Merit Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the music industry and his numerous philanthropic endeavors. Azoff will join previous recipients which include Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Clive Davis, Berry Gordy, Mo Ostin, Ahmet Ertegun and David Geffen, among others. The ceremony will take place at the 2016 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons event, which will again be presented by Davis and The Recording Academy on Feb. 14, 2016, a day before the 58th Grammy Awards. - Billboard, 11/9/15...... Authorities in New Zealand have announced a strict no-drinking policy for AC/DC's upcoming concert in Auckland on Dec. 15. AC/DC s set to perform at the city's Western Springs Stadium on that date, and fans will not be able to purchase alcohol in or around the venue due to a temporary liquor ban which aims to curb crime in the area. Police Sergeant Antony Wilson wrote to Auckland council requesting the ban, expressing fears for alcohol-related crime in relation to the show. Wilson also said that a ban "significantly assisted in curbing alcohol-related harm and offending in public areas." The band has not yet commented on the ban. - New Musical Express, 11/12/15...... Queen and Adam Lambert have been confirmed the first headliner of the U.K.'s 2016 Isle of Wight Festival. The gig will be Queen's first ever U.K. festival show and will be their only U.K. peformance in 2016. They will close the annual festival on Sunday, June 12. "I think Queen at The Isle of Wight Festival is a date that was long overdue," guitarist Brian May said. "How incredible to take on this challenge at this point in our lives. With an injection of new blood in the shape of the incredible Adam Lambert, Queen will be ready to tear it up on this legendary stage in 2016. Freddie [Mercury] would have loved it. Can't wait," he added. - NME, 11/10/15...... Influential British folk singer Roy Harper, who provided lead vocals on Pink Floyd's 1975 track "Have a Cigar," says he's been left "incredibly angry" after sex abuse allegations brought against him by U.K. authorities were dropped in October. Harper was recently acquitted of two indecent assault charges, one of allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old girl in 1980 and one of abusing an 11-year-old in the mid-1970s. Speaking following a three-year battle to clear his name, Harper said: "I have now been acquitted on all the charges that were brought. This case should never have gone as far as this, or taken so long to resolve. The psychological and personal cost to my wife and myself has been enormous and the financial cost hugely unfair. I lost my livelihood and I spent my savings... and more, on my defence." Harper added: "I realise these are difficult issues at this time in this society, and I thank my lawyers for standing by me and working so hard to show the truth. Despite coming out of this without a blemish on my name, I cannot recoup my costs and that's left me incredibly angry." - NME, 11/10/15...... New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint, a songwriter, producer, and performer helped define the sound of soul and R&B in New Orleans and beyond, died following a performance in Madrid, Spain on Nov. 9. He was 77. Toussaint, who grew up in New Orleans, began his career producing for local talent like Ernie K-Doe, Irma Thomas, Art and Aaron Neville, and Lee Dorsey in the early 1960s. Adopting the second-line piano style of artists like Professor Longhair, he brought the New Orleans aesthetic to a national audience with hits like "Mother-In-Law," "Fortune Teller," "Ride Your Pony," and many more. By the 1970s, Toussaint had gone international, collaborating with everyone from Paul McCartney (he played on the Wings album Venus and Mars) to Solomon Burke to Paul Simon (with whom he had just announced a New Orleans benefit concert in early November). He also launched his solo career during this era with a trio of R&B albums for Warner Bros. Between his solo work and his writing for other artists, his songs have been covered by everyone from the Rolling Stones and Jerry Garcia to Bonnie Raitt and Glen Campbell. His production for seminal funk groups like The Meters has also found a second life as the backbone of some of hip-hop's most recognizable beats. He re-emerged as one of the musical voices of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, recording with Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton and touring widely. Already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Toussaint's new solo work earned him six Grammy nominations through 2013 and 2014, as well as a National Medal of the Arts. Sorry to hear that Allen Toussaint died after a concert in Spain," Paul McCartney posted after learning of his death. "Having worked with him in New Orleans I know what a sweet and gentle guy he was and a massive songwriting talent with songs like 'Fortune Teller', Southern Nights', 'Working in the Coal Mine' and 'Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)'. His songs will be cherished by people like me who will have fond memories of Allen forever. Deepest sympathies and love to his family from me and my family," McCartney added. - Billboard, 11/10/15...... Scottish drummer Andy White, a session musican who played drums on some of the Beatles' earliest tracks, passed away on Nov. 9 in New Jersey after suffering a stroke. He was 85. Mr. White appeared on the US release of the Beatles' 1962 recordings of "Love Me Do" and "PS I Love You," and is also thought to have played on the album version of "Please Please Me." As well as playing with the Beatles, Mr. White also provided drums for Tom Jones' 1965 single "It's Not Unusual" and Lulu's 1964 cover of "Shout." In 2009, White said in an interview with a New Jersey paper that he was paid a one-off fee of £5 for three hours work with the Beatles and received no further royalties from the recordings. "You could tell it was something different and very special," Mr. White said in 2012. "But I didn't know just how special it would become." - NME, 11/12/15...... Actor Gunnar Hansen, best known for portraying the Leatherface character in the classic 1974 horror flick The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, died of pancreatic cancer in Northeast Harbor, Maine, on Nov. 7. He was 68. After interviewing with Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper in 1973, Hansen was given the part of Leatherface the retarded killer. After Texas Chainsaw Massacre he tried to make a living as a writer, and worked as a magazine editor for a while. Hansen, who was originally from Iceland, also directed a documentary on Greenland, and spent some time as a web designer. He was currently casting and re-writing the movie The Last Horror Picture Show....... Original Motörhead drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor has died at age 61. Taylor drummed with the pioneering British heavy metal outfit from 1975 to 1984 and then again from 1987 to 1992, which means he played on the bulk of the band's classic recordings. Although he officially left Motörhead decades ago, he linked up with the band's current lineup to perform the immortal "Ace of Spades" in Birmingham in Nov. 2014. - Billboard, 11/12/15...... Rock drummer Edward "Fast Eddie" Hoh, who played on many well-known '60s rock songs by such acts as Donovan and The Monkees, passed away on Nov. 7 in Westmont, Ill. He was 71. He also performed at the seminal 1967 Monterey Pop Festival as a member of the Mamas and the Papas touring band. In 1968, he participated in the recording of Super Session, the highly successful 1968 Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Stephen Stills collaboration album. Hoh's flurry of activity came to an end by the early 1970s, and since then he had remained out of the public eye.

Monday, November 2, 2015

As reported earlier, Phil Collins told Rolling Stone magazine earlier in November that he is "no longer officially retired" and is currently working on a new solo album which he also plans to tour behind, but apparently not everyone is thrilled with the news. An irreverent petition on the change.org website titled "Phil Collins must be stopped" has garnered over 2,400 signatures in hopes of stopping the former Genesis drummer/singer from imposing any more music on the world. "There is far too much suffering in the world as it is," reads the petition. "This must be stopped." In his Rolling Stone interview, Collins said he wanted to show his children "what their dad does." Collins, who announced his short-lived retirement in 2011, added: "My kids are now 10 and 14 and they want to see what their dad does. They were in nappies when I was last on the road. They love my music and I'd like to take them out so they can enjoy it." - New Musical Express, 11/6/15...... Elvis Presley has broken the record of 11 for the most U.K. No. 1 singles by a Male Solo Artist for the week ending Nov. 6 with his latest chart-topper in England, "If I Can Dream." Presley's new LP If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which features his vocals accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, sold 79,000 units in the U.K. in its first week of release and extends Presley's span of No. 1 titles in the U.K. to 59, with his British release Rock 'n' Roll first topping the country's survey in November 1956. Madonna has also racked up 12 No. 1 albums in the U.K., and the Beatles have the most No. 1 LPs as a group with 15. If I Can Dream drops in the U.S. on Nov. 13. - Billboard, 11/6/15...... It was revealed in the New York Times on Nov. 6 that Nile Rodgers' seminal disco band Chic will be playing the Coachella festival next spring. "Coachella called him and booked Chic to perform at the festival for the first time next spring, right around the time he is due to hit 64. How 'awesome' is that?," according to the article, which also said Rodgers is helping to score a new one-man stage production starring actor Hugh Jackman. The 2016 Coachella festival will take place April 15-17 and April 22-24. Meanwhile, Rodgers is prepping the release of a new Chic album called It's About Time, though no release date has been announced. Chic was also recently nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for a record tenth time. - Billboard, 11/6/15...... Ozzy Osbourne is planning to apologize for an infamous 1982 incident in which he urinated on a tall monument adjacent to the Alamo in Texas during a visit to the San Antonio landmark. Osbourne was banned from the city "for life" for the incident, though he has returned since. Now, Osbourne says he'll make a public apology during a new reality series for the History Channel, which will see him traveling to historical sites with his son, Jack Osbourne. Ten years after the Alamo incident, a concert promoter who was present explained that Ozzy was "super drunk and he had a bladder problem" and that "I don't think anyone would have even noticed what he was doing except that he was doing a photo shoot with the English music magazine Melody Maker and he was dressed in pink tights and ballerina shoes. He wandered over to the side of the statue and there he went." Ozzy and Jack are also set to visit such sites as Stonehenge and Mount Rushmore for their new series, which has yet to have a firm release date. - Billboard, 11/6/15...... 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Dr. Ben Carson is the latest candidate to attract the attention of Cher in her notorious string of stream-of-conscious-style musings on Twitter. On Nov. 5, the diva pointed to the fact that many people suspect Dr. Carson is running for the most powerful office in the world only to promote his new book. "Saw Clip of Ben Carson on book signing Tour.He signs book,He & buyer look up,He Fakes Smile 4photo,How much does fake smile cost CHA-CHING," Cher posted. The same day, Cher also riduculed Dr. Carson's controversial statement that the Eyptian pyramids were build by Joseph (of "The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" fame), and that they were used to store grain, as opposed to burial sites. "WHY DOES BEN CARSON BELIEVE PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT BY "JOSEPH"(of Bible,& Amazing Tech.Dream Coat)2 STORE"GRAIN"INSTEAD OF PHARAOH'S MUMMIES?"?," she posted. Cher has previously took other GOP presidential frontrunners, Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, to task on Twitter. "Re JEBS NEW SLOGAN "JEB CAN FIX IT" IT'S BETTER SUITED 4 THE SIGN YOUD SEE ON A 9 YR OLD BOYS,LEMONADE STAND.LET IT GO JEB,YOURE NOT JOYOUS," she posted about Bush on Nov. 2. - Billboard, 11/6/15...... In related news, a Twitter feud between Bette Midler and Justin Bieber is heating up after nude photo of Bieber was leaked in October. "The biggest dick in this situation is the dad who abandoned his son," Midler tweeted about Bieber, who then responded: "This Britt Meddler... I don't even know who that is, honestly. I wanted to immediately say Who is this lady?', but then I'm just fuelling this negativity..." Midler then responded to Bieber: "Britt Meddler! I don't know who that is either! But damn that bitch!" - New Musical Express, 11/7/15...... Bruce Springsteen has released a video from his upcoming The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set that has the Boss and his E Street Band performing "Ramrod" during a legendary performance in Tempe, Ariz., in 1980 during his The River tour. In the video, Springsteen playfully adjusts a microphone chord before launching into the joyous song, calling out to "Big Man" Clarence Clemons for a fun romp on the stage. The Ties That Bind is a 2 hour and 40 minute concert film features 24 songs on two DVDs, along with a CD of 1979/80 studio outtakes; rare tour rehearsal footage of what was then new songs; and a brand new documentary The Ties That Bind about The River. Prior to the release of the box set on Dec. 4, The Ties That Bind documentary will have two preview screenings, at New York City's SVA Theatre on Nov. 14, and Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch, N.J., on Nov. 17. Springsteen is also set to appear at The Theater Madison Square Garden at the Stand Up for Heroes Veterans Fundraiser on Nov. 10, and at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles to play the "Shining A Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America" event on Nov. 18. - Billboard, 11/5/15...... A sample of Isaac Hayes 1971 cut "Ike's Rap 2" on "Here," the current breakout single by rising pop singer Alessia Cara, has reawakened interest in Hayes' back catalog. The catalog of Hayes, who died of a stroke in 2008, stretches back to the mid-1960s and includes not just solo recordings like the No. 1 "Theme From Shaft" from 1971 but also songs he co-wrote for acts like Sam & Dave ("Soul Man" hit No. 2 in 1967) and Carla Thomas. And soon, many more will be available as Isaac Hayes Enterprises, which was founded by Hayes' family in the spring and is spearheaded by his 40-year-oldson Isaac Hayes III readies more than 200 unreleased recordings uncovered since soul icon's death. For now, Hayes III plans to release one full Hayes album along with -instrumental and collaborative compilations in the next year while he explores synch and soundtrack opportunities. - Billboard, 11/5/15...... The Rolling Stones announced on Nov. 5 that they'll be touring Latin America for the first time in a decade with a 12-date "America Latina Olé Tour" that's set to get underway on Feb. 3. The tour will make stops in Buenos Aires (2/7), Montevideo (2/16), Rio De Janeiro (2/20), São Paulo (2/24, 2/27), Porto Alegre (3/2), Lima (3/6), and Bogotã (3/10) before wrapping March 14 in Mexico City. The veteran rockers recently wrapped their Zip Code Tour of North America, an unqualified blockbuster and one of the biggest tours of 2015, grossing $109,714,026 at the box office. Tickets for America Latina Olé will go on sale beginning Nov. 9, with info at rollingstones.com. - Billboard, 11/5/15...... Sting was among the featured performers at a benefit concert dedicated to Transcendental Meditation on Nov. 4. The concert at New York's Carnegie Hall was presented by the David Lynch Foundation and was also headlined by Katy Perry It raised money to offer meditation services for 10,000 at-risk New Yorkers. - AP, 11/5/15...... A lock of John Lennon's hair and a Valium pill bottle that once belonged to Elvis Presley are among the items set to be auctioned on the online auction site Julien's Live. The lock of Lennon's hair comes with a card signed by the late Beatle himself that reads: "Love from 'Bald' John Lennon xxx". Bidding for that item starts at $10,000. The other Elvis items include a guitar pick, a prescription for muscle relaxant drugs, and his life insurance policy. - New Musical Express, 11/3/15...... In other Lennon-related news, his widow Yoko Ono and The Flaming Lips are teaming up to release a vinyl version of Ono and Lennon's hit "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" on Dec. 11 in time for the Christmas season. The single will come with a b-side of "Atlas Eets Christmas," and be released via Chimera Music. Ono and The Flaming Lips also hooked up back in 2011, recording the two tracks and playing them at a New Year's gig in Oklahoma, alongside Neon Indian. - NME, 11/6/15...... The Eagles are postponing their participation in the upcoming Kennedy Center Honors until 2016 due to health problems experienced by Glenn Frey, who is unable to attend the ceremony on Dec. 6. The Kennedy Center announced on Nov. 4 that the Eagles' honor would be postponed by a year, because Frey "has had a recurrence of previous intestinal issues, which will require major surgery and a lengthy recovery period." Frey will be attending next year's ceremony however, along with fellow Eagles Don Henley, Timothy Schmidt and Joe Walsh. Other honorees for this year's Kennedy Center event, which will be taped and broadcast on CBS on Dec. 29, include Carole King, filmmaker George Lucas, actresses Rita Moreno and Cicely Tyson, and conductor Seiji Ozawa. - Billboard, 11/4/15...... Kenny Rogers released his sixth Christmas album, Once Again It's Christmas, on Sept. 25, and Rogers says he thought he could do something different on this yuletide LP. "The label came to me and said, 'We're due another Christmas record,' and I thought after 17 years, I agreed," Rogers said. "I thought I could do something special and different, so I started putting this album together." The new album features contributions from such artists as Jennifer Nettles, Home Free and Alison Krauss. "I've always had this theory that when it comes to duets, you don't commit to partners; you commit to songs. You then find a partner who will sing that song best," Rogers says. Rogers will be performing many of the songs from the set on his annual Christmas tour of North America -- which starts Nov. 11 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The 26-city trek will be the 35th and final holiday tour for veteran country singer, who announced in September that he would be retiring from live performing in 2016. - Billboard, 11/2/15...... British pop star Cliff Richard has been interviewed by U.K. authorities for a second time over a claim that he was involved with a sex crime with a young boy in the 1980s. The interview followed a police search of the 75-year-old singer's Berkshire home. A number of items were removed from the property. The "Devil Woman" singer has denied any wrongdoing, which according to the BBC relates to an assault claim at a religious event at the Bramall Lane stadium in Sheffield in 1985. Richard so far has not been arrested or charged, and his spokesperson described the latest meeting as voluntary. "Other than restating that the allegations are completely false and that he will continue to co-operate fully with the police, it would not be appropriate for Sir Cliff to say anything further at this time," the spokesman said. - New Musical Express, 11/6/15.

In an interview with the London Sunday Times magazine published on Nov. 1, Keith Richards said he wants the Rolling Stones to begin work on a new studio album in April 2016. "These guys aren't getting any younger, but at the same time, they're getting better. I'd love to shove them in the studio in April, hot off the road," said Richards, who also expressed surprise that his legendary band is still touring and recording. "I never thought I'd get this far," he said. - NME, 11/1/15...... Elvis Presley's former wife Priscilla Presley says she's "not quite convinced" by the idea of creating a hologram for her legendary late King of Rock and Roll hubby. "Our partners are exploring different options," she said of plans to make and tour holograms of Elvis and such other deceased music stars as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Tupac. "I don't think it's full-range usage or a few images. There are ideas, his image in a couple of things I haven't seen anything to look at, there's a lot of talking at the moment. I'm not quite convinced by it," she said. But Priscilla adds she would react strongly against attempts to abuse Elvis' legacy. "It's a precious legacy, and we have to protect it. We have a team that sees what's out there and the name, likeness and image cannot be abused," she said. - NME, 10/30/15...... As Queen's signature song "Boheman Rhapsody" turns 40 on the final day of October, guitarist Brian May spoke to BBC News on Oct. 29 about the song's creation, meaning and legacy. "We all realized it was something wonderful and we should give it our heart and soul... The heavy bit was a great opportunity for us to be at full pelt as a rock band," May said of the song, which was taken from Queen's fourth album A Night at the Opera and topped the U.K. singles chart up on its release. May continued: "But that big, heavy riff came from Freddie [Mercury], not me. That was something he played with his left hand in octaves on the piano. So I had that as a guide -- and that's very hard to do, because Freddie's piano playing was exceptional, although he didn't think so." May added that Mercury "enjoyed the fact there were so many interpretations of the lyrics... It's an outlandish song... I think it's beyond analysis," and while he has his own ideas and feelings about it, he says that he "hates talking about it, and I generally refuse." However, May insists that he's "not sick" of the ubiquitous classic rock track, which was famously featured in the 1992 Mike Myers movie Wayne's World, and that he will "still listen to it in the car." "I still enjoy hearing it. If it comes on the radio, I'll turn it up and listen. But no air guitar. I'm too old for air guitar now," he said. - New Musical Express, 10/29/15...... ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne has revealed the latest track from the forthcoming Jeff Lynne's ELO album Alone in the Universe, which is due on Nov. 13. "One Step at a Time" is the third track to be streamed for fans, after "When the Night Comes" in October, and "When I Was a Boy" in September. Fans who preorder Alone in the Universe will receive "When I Was a Boy" instantly. - NME, 10/29/15...... Billy Joel was on hand on Oct. 31 at Citi Field in Game 3 of the World Series to help his fellow New York Mets fans sing along to his signature tune "Piano Man," which has become an unofficial Mets anthem in recent years. During home games, Mets fans have sang along to "Piano Man" during the 8th inning of games, and native New Yorker Joel couldn't help but join in as the crowd sang the song once again during Game 3 against the Kansas City Royals, which the Mets succeeded in winning 9-3. However, the Royals clinched the best-of-seven-games series 4-1 on Nov. 1 at the same ball park with a 7-2 victory in the fifth game, winning their first MLB championship in 30 years. "Billy Joel's music is part of the soundtrack of every New Yorker's life," the Mets' senior vice president of marketing and communications David Newman told Newsday recently. "He's an iconic New Yorker. We wanted him to be part of our playlist during the games." Joel, sporting a Mets cap, was accompanied during Game 3 by his longtime booking agent, Dennis Arfa, and actor/comedian Kevin James beside him. Earlier in the evening, he kicked off the game with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. - NME/Billboard, 10/31/15...... In related news, musician David Peel is rebutting claims that John Lennon, who co-produced Peel's 1972 album The Pope Smokes Dope with wife Yoko Ono, chanted "Let's Go Mets" at the end of one of the tracks on that album, "The Ballad of New York City." The rumor started when Tom Frangione, who hosts the Beatles radio show Things We Said Today, made the claim during a recent broadcast, but Peel says that "Lennon never said that." "He never played on any of my songs. It was me and my hippie friends. Everybody who did the chanting was from the Bronx," Peel says, adding that Lennon was in the control room and "He didn't want to upstage me... He did what I wanted to do." Lennon and Ono signed Peel to a one-record deal on Apple after meeting him in 1971, making him one of a handful of non-Beatle acts to record on Apple (Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger and Elephant's Memory are among the others). Peel also participated in the 1972 One-to-One concert at Madison Square during which he performed on stage with Lennon and Ono. - Billboard, 10/29/15...... In other Lennon-related news, an iconic mohair suit once worn by him during the Beatles' early-'60s heyday was set to be auctioned on Oct. 30, having previously been lost for 40 years. The beige, collarless mohair suits were worn by the Beatles and were made by London tailor Dougie Millings. Lennon's suit was originally donated by manager Brian Epstein, along with the three other members' jackets, to London's Madame Tussauds for the first wax works of the band. However, it was misplaced and only found in 2006 at a warehouse owned by the company. The suit, sold by the Fame Bureau auction house, has an estimated value of £150,000. - New Musical Express, 10/29/15...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the Beatles' Apple Corp. will be rolling out a deluxe limited edition of their 2000 No. 1 hits collection 1 on Nov. 13 that's set to include some 50 restored and never-commercially-released films and videos. To kick off the the release of set, dubbed 1+, the band has released the new version of its video for Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band's "A Day In The Life," which features trippy footage of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison alongside rock star pals Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Footage from the band's early 1967 recording sessions are sprinkled throughout the clip, which was restored frame-by-frame in 4K resolution. "These videos and films are spectacular reminders of the era we lived in. They also rock!" McCartney recently told an online music site. 1+ also features exclusive audio commentary from surviving Beatles McCartney and Starr as well as a 124-page illustrated hardcover book. - Billboard, 10/29/15...... Tom Jones says he's going to take a DNA test to establish his racial background, because he believes that his race has always been questioned due to his skin tone and curly hair. "A lot of people still think I'm black," the "She's a Lady" singer said in an interview with the UK's The Big Issue. "When I first came to America, people who had heard me sing on the radio would be surprised that I was white when they saw me. Because of my hair, a lot of black people still tell me that I'm just passing as white." The Welsh crooner has also said that his mother Freda was confused about her ethnicity, saying that doctors had "asked if she had any black blood and she said she didn't know." "I'm going to get my DNA tested. I want to find out," he added. - NME, 11/2/15...... Ozzy Osbourne was joined by special guests Slash of Guns N' Roses, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and his own Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler as he headlined New Orleans' Voodoo Fest on Halloween night. Osbourne was joined by the trio throughout the night, including on crowd favorite "Iron Man," as he performed a solo set that also included such numbers as "I Don't Know," "Mr. Crowley," and "Bark at the Moon." Ozzy, performing at the rainy concert, sprayed the crowd with a fire hose throughout the night, dumped a bucket of water on his head twice and repeatedly asked the audience if they were having fun. "I can't f---ing hear you," he kept saying, smiling when the crowd responded with cheers of "Ozzy, Ozzy." This was the 66-year-old rocker's first solo performance in several years. - Billboard, 11/2/15...... Meanwhile, Osbourne and Black Sabbath have confirmed to Rolling Stone magazine that there will not be another Black Sabbath album to follow up their 2013 set 13, and that their upcoming The End tour will be, in fact, the end. "In December, I'll be f------' 68, and I think it's time to call it the end of the day," Ozzy said. "I'm not saying I won't get on stage with Geezer or Tony [Iommi] or any of them some time, but officially we're going to be done. I don't want it to dwindle and dwindle and play just for the sake of making another f------ sack full of cash. So it's time, and then I'll go back to doing my own thing," he added. Sabbath's international tour will stretch through most of 2016, with the final date listed as Sept. 21 in Phoenix. - Billboard, 10/29/15......Amazon.com has been celebrating its newly redesigned vinyl store since Oct. 23 with a 13-day free giveaway of vinyl LP's that include such titles as the Grateful Dead's The Best of the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers. Visitors can enter their name, email and phone number for a chance to win the record of the day with winners chosen at random. - Billboard, 10/30/15...... Original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart debuted their new Dead & Company tour with singer/songwriter/guitarist John Mayer in tow on Oct. 29 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The response to Mayer was overwhelmingly positive, with thousands of Deadheads watching live streams online and posting such comments as "Are you listening to this?!? He's killin' it!," and "Can you imagine? They're only going to gel more!" One critic remarked plainly: "I was wrong, I take it back." As for the rest of the group, Weir led a romp through beloved GD classic "Tennessee Jed," and "Feel Like A Stranger" found the entire band in great form, with Weir and Mayer trading verses during "He's Gone" gave the anthem a novel feel. The 18-song set culminated with an encore of the GD's sole Top 40 hit, "Touch of Grey." - Billboard, 10/30/15...... Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, the stars of the 1973 box office smash The Way We Were, will reunite on Dec. 9 as Redford presents Streisand with the 2015 Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at The Hollywood Reporter's 2015 Women in Entertainment breakfast at Milk Studios in Los Angeles. Redford honoring Streisand will serve as a reunion for the two stars, and the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award recognizes women who serve as pioneers in the world of entertainment. Previous honorees include Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Jodie Foster and Oprah Winfrey. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/2/15...... Soul music great Charles Wright, known for his 1971 classic "Express Yourself," has released Up From Where We've Come, his first in a series of autobiographies. The book is an up-close and intimate telling of his family's profound struggles as sharecroppers near Clarksdale, Miss., through the 1940s, and a riveting insider's glimpse into the realities of the times. - Miles High Productions, 10/31/15...... Phil Collins has told Rolling Stone that his is "no longer retired" and that he will begin work on a new album, My Life in 15 Songs, in November, which will be the followup to his 2002 LP Testify. "The horse is out of the stable and I'm raring to go," said Collins, 64. While the '80s solo star and former Genesis drummer/frontman says no details have been set in stone, he also plans to launch a comeback tour behind the next album, depending on how soon he can complete the reissues of his solo albums. "I got very involved in these reissues," he says. "We even re-shot all the covers, which was my idea. I'm easily flattered. If people rediscover the old stuff and show interest, it would be silly not to make more music." Collins added that the door is always open for a Genesis reunion: "I love the guys. I would just prefer to do this first. For now, let's see where this goes." He is also expected to release an autobiography in October 2016. - Billboard, 10/28/15...... Actor Al Molinaro, best known as the second owner of Arnold's Drive-In in the 1970s retro-themed sitcom Happy Days, died on Oct. 30 at Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, Calif. He was 96. Mr. Molinaro also portrayed Murray the cop on ABC's The Odd Couple after being hired by producer Garry Marshall to appear in the TV version of Neil Simon' play about feuding roommates. As Murray, Mr. Molinaro played a simpleminded policeman who at times seemed as much a threat to his friends as he did to any crooks. After that series ended in 1975, Mr. Molinaro's next long-running role was that of Al Delvecchio in Happy Days, the 1974-1984 nostalgic sitcom about 1950s life that starred Ron Howard and Henry Winkler. Mr. Molinaro joined the cast in 1976, replacing Pat Morita as the owner of Arnold's Drive-In, and remained until 1982. Mr. Molinaro's other TV credits included Get Smart, Green Acres, That Girl and Bewitched. He had been retired from acting since the 1990s, and died of complications of gallstone problems, according to his son Michael Molinaro. - AP, 10/31/15.